


The Setup

by arthurpseud (saintnoname)



Category: Arthur (Cartoon)
Genre: College, F/M, Gen, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27744259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintnoname/pseuds/arthurpseud
Summary: David Read plays matchmaker.  Jane goes along with it.
Relationships: David Read/Jane Read, Nigel Ratburn/Patrick
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Setup

“And _that_ , my friend,” Patrick said as he set down his piping bag, “is how you fill eclairs without tearing them.” He turned to his friend. “Are you feeling a little bit more confident about tomorrow now?”

David exhaled and nodded. “Thank you so much, Patrick. I thought those eclairs were going to do me in, but now, I think I can pass my final tomorrow.”

“And this is why it’s important for baking and pastry majors and savory culinary majors to be friends.”

“Absolutely. And I’ll help you with your mother sauces later this week.”

“It’s a deal.”

David looked over to where his girlfriend was sitting at her desk. Jane had been studying for her own finals (different school, different major, same city, off-campus living), but had been able to concentrate with the help of her tape player and some very large headphones. Besides, she was used to David’s cooking escapades by now. It was part of living with a culinary arts student. And, truth be told, she craved the chaotic energy David had brought into her life. It wouldn’t be far-flung to say that she needed it, even. There wasn’t much fun in her major. Accounting was all about order and numbers. Living with someone as frenetic as David Read was good for her: it kept her from getting too bogged down in routine.

“We’ve got eclairs, Jane,” David called, but she didn’t hear him. With a shrug, he began cleaning the kitchen, and Patrick joined in to help. When Patrick left, David walked over to Jane with a plate of eclairs. He placed them in front of her, right on top of her bookwork. This time, she did look up, pausing her tape and taking off her headphones.

“These look wonderful, David,” she remarked, picking one up to eat.

“That’s because I didn’t make them. You should’ve seen the ones I made in class.”

Jane took a bite and closed her eyes in ecstasy. “Well, if the ones you make tomorrow are as good as this, you’ll be sure to pass.”

David smiled. “If I do, it’ll be thanks to Patrick.” Perfect transition into his next question. “Speaking of: what do you think of him?”

“What do I think of him?” She shrugged, taking another bite. “I don’t really know him that well, but he seems nice. He’s an excellent baker.”

“So, you would be okay with him joining us for dinner this weekend?”

“Of course I would be.”

“Great! Hey, is Nigel still single?”

_Now_ Jane could see where this was going. She put the éclair down and looked up at him. “Honey. Just because Nigel is single and gay doesn’t mean he wants to be set up with a guy.”

David held up his hands. “I know. And I’m not trying to do that.”

Jane merely raised a brow.

“Okay, I am trying to do that. But I promise I won’t try to push. If there’s nothing there, I’ll drop it.”

“Well…as long as you don’t push, I guess it’s okay. But don’t let them know what it is. I don’t think Nigel would enjoy dinner if he knew we were trying to set him up.”

“I promise, I won’t say anything about that.”

\---

“Aren’t _we_ supposed to be giving _you_ gifts?” Jane asked teasingly as Nigel held out an envelope to her and David. They had, in fact, brought a gift. They just hadn’t expected to be receiving one, too. “After all, it’s your wedding.”

“You two are the reason we met,” Patrick explained. “If you two hadn’t set us up, there might not be a wedding.”

Jane flushed. “Really, it was David’s idea. I just went along with it.”

“At any rate,” Nigel jumped in, “we knew what you two were up to from the moment we met each other.”

“I didn’t mind getting set up like that, because we hit it off right away,” Patrick added in.

David took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a thank you card and a gift card to the restaurant the four of them ate at the night Nigel and Patrick met. There was a hand-written note inside the card.

_Dear David and Jane,_

_This is a small token of our gratitude to you. We’re not sure if we could ever fully express our gratitude, but we hope this is at least a start._

_Love,_

_Patrick and Nigel_


End file.
